On Sparrow Wings
by Spewilicious
Summary: 18 year old Jack Sparrow is captain of nothing but his own life. He knows the sea is his home and that being a pirate is the only way to be totally free. A young lady shares these beliefs. The two meet by chance and are changed forever.
1. Prologue: Port Royal

**On Sparrow Wings**

**Prologue: **Port Royal****

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, except my beautiful soundtrack, which plays even as we speak.

                                                                                    ~*~

It had been a long day. He laid his tired head on the pillow and closed his eyes. The steady rocking of the ship quickly lulled him sleep.

                                                                                    ~~~

            The _Wind Rider pulled into port at dawn. A slender man with dreadlocks, braids, and beads was first to disembark, but barely. The rest of the crew followed quite rapidly, giving the young man a run for his money._

            "Now, first mate though ye be, Jack Sparrow, I be warnin' ye, don't ye be stirring up too much trouble," an elderly looking man said, "or the captain will be havin' yer hide."

            Jack grinned back at the man. "Aw, Winger! When do I ever stir up trouble?" He winked and swaggered off. Winger just shook his head and started towards the nearest pub.                                                                                   ~~~

Across town, a young lady was just finishing a note she was writing. She sat back to reread it.

            _ Dear Mother and Father,_

_   I know you want me to grow up and be a respectable woman with a respectable husband and live a respectable life, but I just can't do that yet. You've kept me so repressed I don't even know who I am! _

_   I'll tell you right now that I do know one thing. I'm going to live my way. I started to a few years ago when I started to sneak out and learned to fight. Now there's no stopping me! I'm running away, and I'm going to find a life for myself._

_   I appreciate all that you've done for me so far and I ask you to please not come looking for me. _

_                                                            With Much Love,_

     _Maris Katharine Morrison_

            She nodded her head in satisfaction, sealed it and set it on her dressing table. Looking into the mirror, she studied her reflection. With the disguise almost complete, she looked like a young boy. Except for the hair. The light brown, softly curling hair was a dead give away, but she wasn't brave enough to cut it. So she tied it up under a bandana and plunked her hat on. Now she really looked like a boy. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she picked up the pack sitting next to her and climbed out the window, disappearing into the crowds not far away.                                                                                                      ~~~

            "I told ye! Ye'll not be buying anythin' of mine with that lot of flashy trash! Be gone or I'll poke yer eye out with me sword!" growled a grizzled looking merchant.

            "Oh, ye think so, do ye?"  taunted Jack. "Well then, have at it." He stood and drew his sword. The merchant complied and attacked. Swords clashing, they danced around each other, striking and missing, and striking again. It was clear even to the untrained eye that Jack had more skill. He slowly drew the merchant toward the edge of the dock. Suddenly a voice rang out from the crowd. 

            "The guards are coming!"

            Jack looked over towards the guard posts, and seeing the approaching Royal Navy guards dashed of in the opposite direction, nodding his thanks to the informer. He turned and dashed, leaving the merchant standing in the middle of the dock, flabbergasted.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ~~~

            Maris slipped out of the crowd, determined to follow the young man. She had no idea why she had warned him, but she had and now she wanted to find out why. She steadily followed as he swerved into a street, only to move down another one almost instantly. Eventually he slowed and moved into an alley. She cautiously followed, but he was no where to be seen. She frowned in frustration.

            Turning to go back, she was suddenly confronted with a hand over her mouth and a sword at her throat.

            "Ye warned me, I said thank ye, so why are ye followin' me?" he growled in her ear, moving his hand as he spoke so she could reply.

             "I- I wanted to know where you were going. Your not much older than I am." Remembering her disguise last minute, she tried to deepen her voice.

            "Fair enough." He relaxed and pointed down the alley to where a ship was visible. "Ye see that ship? That's the one I came in on, and that's the one I'm leavin' on, so you can just go back home."

            "No. Take me to your captain. I want to leave on your ship."

            "What!? Now wait just a minute! Ye think ye can warn me of trouble then stand here, half off yer rocker, and demand passage aboard the _Wind Rider? If ye want to leave, yer gonna half to work, be part of the crew." He grinned, looking at the soft boy in front of him. Maris saw the smirk and glared back._

            "Fine! Take me to your captain!"

            "Fine! What's your name, anyway?"

            "Ma-" She stumbled over her name, thinking of a new one. "-rk. Mark is my name."

            "Mark, eh? Well, come on, then, Mark, the captain is a busy man!" He strode off, leaving 'Mark' to hurry after him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ~~~

            Jack quickly moved across the deck to Captain Langford's quarters. He knocked and turned around to keep an eye on Mark. The kid acted as though he'd never been on a ship before. 

            "Jack! What brings you back so early?" said the Captain, stepping into the sunshine.

            Jack turned. "This _boy_ wants to be part of the crew."

            "How old are ye, son?" Captain Langford asked Mark.

            "I'm sixteen, sir."

            "Well, Jack, this _boy _is only two years younger than ye be right now and two years older than ye were when ye joined me." He turned back to Mark. "Now then, what kind of trainin' have ye had?"

            "What kind of-? What? I don't understand?" Mark looked confused.

            "Can ye fight?"

            "Oh! Oh, yes, sword and knife!"

            "Excellent. Can ye work? And work hard, without complainin'? For the better part of the day?"

            "Yes, I- I can." Mark didn't sound as sure about this aspect. Jack grinned.

            "One last question. What does yer daddy do for a livin'?"

            "He's a farrier. I used to help him."

            "Excellent. I'm Captain Robert Langford. This here is me first mate, Jack Sparrow." Langford said, gesturing to Jack.

            "I'm Mark Morrison." Mark stuck out his hand.

            Langford looked at the hand but did not shake it. "Mark, it seems there be a lot of things yer gonna need to know to sail on any pirate ship. I'll leave ye in Jack's care and he'll teach ye everything ye'll need to know. Welcome aboard!" He turned and entered his quarters.

            "_What did he say!?" The two stared in disbelief at each other._

                                                                                    ~*~

A/N: Thanks for reading the beginning of my fic. This is the first fic I have ever written not based on anime. But ya gotta love those pirates! Incase your interested, I have one other fic posted, a humorous one involving Escaflowne and cows. And shortly there will be a few more cow fics for all my other fave shows and movies. Silent Cobra inspired me… you should run. Oh, and this fic gets _way_ more interesting as it goes on. After all, this is just the prologue! You just have to come back to find out what happens. Luvies! 


	2. Jack's Lessons

**On Sparrow Wings**

**Chapter 1: Jack's Lessons**

Disclaimer: My soundtrack, which once again is playing, is the only Pirates of the Caribbean thing I own… There are a few things I LIKE to own… and a certain pirate… 

~*~

            "Pirates? Did he say _pirates_!?" Mark shouted at Jack.

            "Teach? Did he say _teach_!?" Jack shouted back.

            "What about the pirates!?" shouted Mark

            "How am I ever going to teach a boy like you!?" shouted Jack.

            "_I don't care how you're going to teach me! What pirates was he talking about!?"_

            "_We're pirates! Now you are! You'll never learn how to be a proper pirate!" This was turning into a shouting contest, and it was hard to tell who was winning.  Jack decided to take control of things. When Mark opened his mouth to shout something else, Jack pulled out his sword and started to wave it around. "Now, here's how we going to handle this." He looked straight at Mark and continued. "First, we find out how well you fight. Then I'll teach you the code and a few polite manners, savvy?"_

            "Fine," said Mark, still angry, and a little confused by the change in Jack's volume. He pulled out his sword and faced Jack. "Ready when you are."

            Jack pulled the first move, teasing Mark a little with a parry here, a thrust there. Mark countered perfectly. Jack threw some fancy footwork at him. Mark followed easily. Instead of fighting, it seemed as though they were dancing. So Jack decided to spice things up a bit and threw in a good old-fashioned pirate move. He performed a piece of fancy footwork with a nice turn in it. Seeing what he wanted, he stabbed the dirty washrag and flung it in Mark's face. Completely unprepared, Mark fell back and grabbed at the cloth.

            "Cheater!" he growled.

            "Pirate. Ye need to learn how to do that." He attacked again. Mark responded, deflecting the blow and returning with one of his own.

            "Who taught ye how to fight?" Jack asked.

            "The Royal Navy," Mark replied.

            "The Royal Navy!?" Jack almost dropped his sword with shock. He straightened up, totally forgetting the fight. Mark lunged for Jack's sword hand, but was too slow. Jack saw the attack coming and as Mark's momentum carried him forward, Jack grabbed his wrist and held him at sword point. "What are ye doing here? Come to spy and turn us in?"

            "What?" Mark was eyeing the sword. "Oh, you think I'm _from_ the Royal Navy. No, no, I used to go watch their training sessions and they took pity on me and taught me how to fight."

            "So you're not from the Navy?" 

            "No, I'm not."

            Jack relaxed and sheathed his sword. "Well, I suppose you can take care of yourself in a fight, then. Now for a little etiquette lesson. I think _you need to know first off that pirates are not big on handshakes. Too much can be given away if the person on the other end is clever enough to figure it out. Now see, I have this tattoo representing me name, Jack Sparrow." Jack rolled up his sleeve a little. "And some pirates who've gotten in trouble and have miraculously worked everything out have these lovely little brands in the shape of a 'P' that right away tells anyone who wants to know that he is, in fact, a pirate. So, no more handshaking. Next, ye _must_ know the Pirates Code." Jack suddenly had an idea. "This will take a while, so why don't we head over to this pub I've heard about. It's not far."_

            "Well, I suppose… We could go for a moment…"

            "Excellent! Well, let's be off then. Right this way." Jack put a friendly arm around Mark's shoulders. It made Mark very nervous, especially coming after Jack's disparaging remarks. Jack could feel Mark stiffen, and grinned to himself. This was so funny.

                                                            ~~~

            The two reached the pub in the middle of Jack's lesson on 'parle' and he paused for a moment to get two mugs of ale from the bar tender. Carrying them over to a table, Jack plunked them down and taking a swig, promptly launched back into his lesson.

            "…And so parle takes ye to said captain of said ship without harm, savvy?" He took another swig, missing Mark's nod. "I said 'savvy?'"

            "Yes, Jack. I've got it. You've only told me about it three times. Can we move on?" Mark replied impatiently. 

            "Ye scurvy dog! How dare ye say things like that! I demand an apology!" Jack shouted, jumping up and brandishing his sword. Mark lurched backwards in shock. Jack turned toward the rest of the pub. "Good townspeople! We can't let him get away with such rudeness! He will pay for calling all citizens of Port Royal landlubbers with only half a wit, will he not!? Rally with me to teach this boy a lesson!" He turned back to find Mark had drawn his sword and was looking towards all the drunk and angry faces glaring at him.

            "Wha- what are you doing, Jack?" Mark was sounding nervous. "This really isn't funny."

            Jack grinned and moved out of the angry townspeople's way. The first attacker struck, encouraging the fellows behind him to surge forward. Mark did very well for the first couple of minutes. As the angry mob continued to attack, Mark went from nervous and skilled to scared and tiring. The sheer number of people attacking over and over was wearing him down. Jack watched as Mark's guards, blocks, and parries became slower, more ragged. Finally someone scored a hit, a cut on Mark's leg. The sight of blood seemed to encourage the mob all the more. Mark's breathing became ragged; he stumbled and collected a few more cuts. Jack started to get worried. He didn't want the kid to be killed. He just wanted to pull a little prank. Show the kid he didn't really have what it took to be a pirate and that he should quit and go home. Jack watched as the crowd grew more and more out of control. They advanced, pushing Mark back, closer and closer to the wall. His back hit the wall, but he continued to fight back. His face a terrified mask, he looked over to Jack. Jack could see it in those blue eyes. So many things in his eyes. Questions, feelings. _Why did you do this? What have you got against me?_ He could see the fear, the anger, and there, the tiniest bit of regret. And then a new question formed in Mark's eyes. _Why am I still fighting?_

            Jack waded in, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Stop! Enough! He's had his punishment!" He looked at Mark, whose stance had relaxed, his sword arm dropping, leaving himself open to anything. Jack fought over to him. The people he passed and yelled at stopped their mad attack and stood watching in a half mad, half drunken stupor. A few men right at the front opposed him.

            "Why should we leave 'im? 'E flat out insulted us! I say we kill 'im!" the first man shouted his last words.

            "Yeah! Kill 'im!' the other two shouted.

            "That's really a wonderful sentiment, killing whoever insulted you, but he's already half dead and so there wouldn't be any fun in it, so why don't ye call it good and go have a drink to celebrate." Jack said. "See look. All your mates have already started without you!" The three men looked. "Go on! Have a nice drink. Celebrate!" The men wandered over to the bar. "Splendid." Jack turned to Mark. Mark just stood there, half numb with shock over what had happened. "Let's get you out of here, savvy?" Jack draped one of Mark's arms over his shoulders and half pulled him out of the pub, up the street and back to the ship.

                                                            ~~~

            Jack and Mark made so much noise stumbling up the ramp to the ship that Captain Langford came out to see what all the ruckus was about. 

            "Jack! What'd ya do to the lad?" he demanded.

            "Well, _I didn't exactly do it to him…" Jack hesitated._

            "Oh? So then who did?" 

            "Well, it's like this," he started. A new voice interrupted

            "It was my fault. We went to a pub while Jack was explaining the Code and I insulted Port Royal'ers and the men attacked. If it wasn't for Jack I'd be dead." Mark explained.

            "Is that the way of it, Jack?" He looked appraisingly at Mark.

            "Uh, yeah, Captain. That's the way of it."

            "Well, I must say, I wasn't prepared to take on a wounded crew member…" He paused. "But I suppose facing a pub full of angry men does speak some merits for the lad. And my word is my word. So, Jack, take him below and fix him up a bit. I expect a reasonably well turn out for when the crew returns tonight. We leave at dawn." He went back to his cabin muttering about the 'balls of young people these days.'

                                                            ~~~

            Down in the crew's cabin, Jack was giving Mark the what for.

            "I saw it, mate. That's why I rescued ya. In your eyes. You were giving up. Can't ever give up. That's another pirate thing ye'll have to learn. Don't give up till _after_ yer dead. And ye gotta guard yer eyes. They give everything away. That's how I knew to jump in." Jack was patching up Mark's cuts. Mark winced quite often. "And I saw the regret. Ye can't ever regret anything, least of all being a pirate. Regret leads to other torments, like giving up. That's what did it to ya. Regret made you give up."

            "Jack, shut up. Let me get a word in edge wise." Mark sounded slightly cross and Jack gulped. "I want to know _why_ you did that to me. And it had better be reasonably good."

            "Well, ye see," Jack felt awkward and embarrassed telling Mark his stupid reason. "Ye see, I didn't like ye very much, and I had no respect for ye at all, so I decided to play a… a little prank on ye. Ye know, get in a fight, get roughed up, wimp out, go home… But now, _now_ I see yer not the soft little boy I thought ye was. Yer good. Ye got skill and determination, and a pirate needs that, but a pirate also has gotta be able to face down anything _with out regret, right up till after yer dead. No backing down ever. That's what ye need."_

            "I see." Mark said thoughtfully. "I'll remember that." 

            "Excellent. Now I got two questions for ya. First, I want to know why ye lied for me." Jack asked sternly. "I could have handled it."

"I'm new here and I didn't want everything screwed up. And you had already saved me. It was my turn." Mark answered evenly. 

"Oh. Okay. So second is, um, seeing as how what I did was totally wrong and unnecessary, I, uh, was wondering if you'd, ah, forgive me, and start over so we could be friends. Yeh really got my respect back there." Jack watched Mark's face for any clue to his decision.

            "Well, I suppose if I had been in your place I would have felt the same, and because life would be utterly miserable on board if we were angry at each other, I suppose I could forgive you." An evil gleam entered Mark's eyes. "On one condition."

            "What would that be?" Jack asked warily.

            "You have to do three quarters of my work for the first month."

            "O- okay. So ye'll forgive me now?"

            "Yes." Mark nodded.

            "Alright! Now go get into some clothes with a little less blood on them!"

                                                            ~~~

            As soon as the last man had boarded, Langford gave the call for all hands on deck.

            "Quicker, men! We've got a new crewmember and yer all going to meet him before anyone can head for dreamland!" Captain Langford strode up and down the line of men, impatiently waiting for Jack and Mark to appear. "Jack! Bring the lad up! Didja miss the order for _all_ hands on deck!? NOW!"

            "We didn't miss it, Capt'n. Mark's just got a bit of a limp after all his fun today." Jack's voice sounded from the hatch. Then his head popped out. "See, here we are!"

            "Good. Hurry it up! We all want some sleep before we pull out."

            "Aye, Capt'n." The rest of Jack climbed out as the crew watched, mildly interested. Mark slowly ascended and finally was clear of the hatch.

            "Well, men, here's the new crewmember. Goes by the name of Mark Morrison. I expect everyone to treat him with the same respect ye treat each other with, especially considering that after his bit of a fight today, I figure he could take any one of ya. So have at him."

            The crew looked at Mark, and slowly came over to introduce themselves or ask questions.

"Name's Gunnar." 

"Morrison as in the farrier?"

"Welcome aboard."

"We're gonna have to get you a sea name."

"I'm Hairy Harrison, largely do to the fact that I've got a lot of hair."

Mark nodded and replied to each man, careful to not offer to shake anyone's hand. Everyone seemed to be alright, not at all like the bloodthirsty pirates he heard about in tales. Being a pirate might not be so terrible after all.

"Alright! Enough chitchat! Rest! Sleep! Now!" Langford called above the voices of the men. Mark sighed. Rest, finally. He walked with the crew to their quarters and settled into his bunk for some hard earned sleep.

                                                ~*~

A/N: Golly gee, life does interesting stuff. I'd have had this up a long time ago, but for the fact I've been on a mini vacation in San Francisco, and kept busy with the terrifying chore of  ((start scary music)) cleaning my closet… which became… ((lots more scary music)) cleaning my room. Man, was it bad. First off, if you don't know what you're doing, my closet is a death trap. Then, after I drug everything out (dishes, clothes, racecars, books, games, a textbook from last year…) my _room_ became a death trap. I might have had two whole square feet of carpet visible and scattered in three-inch hunks across my room. But now I'm done!!!! (did you really need to know all that? Oh well…) YAY!!! ((happy music))  So even though school is starting Monday, and I have tons of after school stuff (homework, riding, church…), I will probably be able to write faster! Yay!!! ((more happy music)) As it is now 12:01 am, I'm gonna say cheerio to you! Luvs and Lasagna! 


	3. Not Quite Buried Treasure

**On Sparrow Wings**

**Chapter 2: Not Quite Buried Treasure**

Disclaimer: Only own the soundtrack… nuthin' else… luv my soundtrack… no profit comes from this, only pleasure… blah, blah, blah… 

                                                            ~*~

            Jack was kneeling on the deck of the ship at Mark's feet, scrubbing like there was no tomorrow. He glanced up at something Mark said and laughed. "Ye got that right! Ye'll never catch me workin' for you again!" He gave the deck one last scrub and stood up. "There, that's the last of it! Now you're on yer own and I can go back to my regular duties." He made a face.

            "Oh, yes, that reminds me." Mark grinned at Jack.

            "I don't like it when ye use that tone of voice…"

            "While you were working in the late, late evenings, and the rest of us were enjoying our dinner, Captain Langford told us our next stop. We're going to be landing in Ponce in a day or so." Mark sounded smug.

            "Ponce? What's in Ponce?" 

            "Treasure. The first treasure I'll ever see." Mark was grinning at Jack again, clearly pleased at the idea.

            "Treasure in Ponce, eh? We'll be stealing it then. And-" He broke off at the startled look on Mark's face.

            "Steal? I- I didn't know it would be stealing." 

            "Oh, come off it, Mark. If I know the Capt'n, it'll probably be some big ugly statue that the owner doesn't like, and he'll be glad to be rid of it. So we'll oblige him by takin' it off of his hands and putting it to good use. Trust me." Jack picked up his bucket and tossed the water overboard as he spoke. "Let's go eat something. All this pansy work has made me hungry."

            "Pansy work!?" Mark looked indignant as he followed Jack below.

                                                            ~~~

            "All right, men! I want ye to get a good nights rest before tomorrow. Ponce is a little less than two kilometers up the river. We'll have two landing boats. I want Winger, Ivan, Gunnar, Thomas, and Hans in my boat. In the other will be Jack, Mark, Hairy, and Timmory. Gentlemen, we must time this right. We will drop anchor and head up the river as the tide is going in to help us reach Ponce speedily. Then we must work quickly to collect the figure-" Jack looked at Mark with raised eyebrows and mouthed the words _I told ye so_. "-which will go in Jack's boat, and then get back to the river, right as the tide is turning or just after, to pull us out to sea. Ye got that?" He glared around. "Now get to sleep!"

            As the crew moved to their quarters Jack sidled over to Mark. "Told ye. He loves to go for big and ugly, then he can get rid of hunks as it pleases him and so has a steady flow of money. Do I know the Capt'n or what?" He grinned.

            "Alright, you were partly right." Mark conceded. 

            "Partly? What was I not right about?" Jack said indignantly.

            "Well, I still don't know if it's ugly enough that we would be doing this person a favor by stealing it." 

            "Just ye wait. Ye'll see." Jack said smugly.

            Mark rolled his eyes and headed for his bunk. What if it really was ugly? What if it wasn't? Mark slowly drifted of to sleep, mind filled with thoughts of buried treasure. 

                                                            ~~~

            "Wake up!!! There's work to be done!" Jack's voice echoed through the cabin. He grinned gleefully at the sour morning faces of the crew.

            "Jack, you enjoy doing that too much." Mark groaned. "Just because you're the first mate and get more privileges than the rest of us doesn't mean you have to rub it in our faces." A chorus of agreement followed this announcement. Mark got an idea, and Jack could see it in the grin on his face.

            "Uh, yeah, ye're absolutely right. I'll, uh, be more considerate in the future." He said quickly in an attempt to get away.

            "I don't think so, Jack." Mark said as he advanced. "I think the crew needs to have a chat with you." Mark's grin widened. "See, I think the crew needs to do something to loosen the tension before tonight… so maybe a little game of… Catch the Birdie? Whoever gets a certain Sparrow gets a week of relaxation as the little birdie performs all of his capturer's chores. Ready, men?" Grunts and shouts of agreement signaled that they were ready to start. "Alright, then… _Go!"_

            Jack took off hollering at the top of his lungs. "Ye'll never catch me!" 

            The crew dashed off after him. Soon the ruckus roused the captain. Mark heard him exit his quarters, shouting about the noise. He started to laugh at what he saw. Mark walked upstairs to see and had to chuckle, too. Jack was scampering all over the place, being chased by one giant mob of pirates.

            "Come back 'ere!" 

            "I'll get ye, yeh scurvy dog!" 

            "Here, birdie, birdie, birdie!"

            Jack glared at Mark as he dashed past. "Ye're gonna get yours!" Then he was gone, evading a grab here and a snatch there. The crew was tiring out. Jack, of course, had lots more energy. After a couple more zigs and a few zags, the crew called it quits.

            "There be no way of catchin' the bugger this early in the mornin'," gasped one man.

            Mark grinned and walked over to Jack. "Well, you sure can run."

            "Yeah, and I'm glad!" He glared at Mark. "That was rotten!"

            "Yes, well… Pirate." He grabbed Jack's arm. "Gotcha."

            Jack groaned. "Oh no… I have to do yer work… again?"

                                                            ~~~

           "Quietly, men, quietly. We don't wanna be waking the whole island," warned the captain as the boats were lowered over the side. Mark's head came up. "No, Mark, we wouldn't be able to wake the whole island just by lowerin' the boats. It's just a precaution." Mark relaxed. Jack rolled his eyes. 

            Once the boats were in the water, the crew climbed in and set off for the river. The flow of the tide did indeed help speed them up the river, and they had soon reached the city of Ponce. They stealthily pulled the boats ashore and headed for the desired statue. Sneaking into the yard, they surrounded the work of art.

            "Art? That's art?" Mark whispered unbelievingly. "That's not art, that's just ugly."

            "Yes, well, now do ye think we're doing the poor owner a favor by removing it?" Jack whispered back.

            "Oh, yes I do."

            "Alright, men! Get to work!" Captain Langford whispered fiercely. "You there! Toss yer rope over that way! You, too! And you! Pull that one this way! Make sure everything is where it ought to be! And heave! Heave!"

            Everyone grabbed a rope and pulled. The statue didn't budge. They continued to pull with all their might and the statue continued to not budge. Hairy suddenly let go of his rope and walked around to the other side. He climbed up the stone pedestal and grunted, "On the count of three! One! Two! Three!" On three everyone pulled and Hairy pushed. The statue budged. In fact it started to topple over. The men continued to pull and they managed to get it down with minimal noise. The crew hurriedly covered it and tied rope handles. Lifting the statue, they slowly made their way back to the landing boats. 

            "The tide has not yet reached its peak, but hurry men, time is still not a luxury." Captain Langford said. The statue was placed in the bottom of Jack's boat, and tied securely down. "Now, we must wait for the tide to begin its ebb."

            The men sat idle at first, but soon restlessness set in. 

            "Hey, Jack." Mark whispered 

            "What?" he whispered back.

            "How much longer?"

            "Not much."

            "How long is not much?"

            "Ten minute or so."

            "Ten minutes!?"

            "Shh! Keep yer hat on! It's not that long!"

            "Not that long? Maybe if you've done this more than once, but this is my first time! Oh, no!" Mark burst out. 

            "What!? What's wrong!?" Jack whispered urgently.

            "I'm a crook! I've stolen something! I can't believe it! Mark, the thief. Oh, it sounds miserable!" he moaned.

            "Is that it? Ye'll get over it. Now be quiet."

            "But-"

            "Shh!"

            "Alright, men. Tide is turning. Let's go!" Captain Langford whispered. The boats were pushed off and rowed to the middle of the river. With the combined power of the river flow, the receding tide, and the rowing of the men, the little boats practically flew back to the ship. The statue was immediately hauled up by the remaining crew and stowed below deck. One by one the pirates climbed on deck and set about readying the ship to sail. The small boats were hauled up and the sails unfurled. Soon they were moving away from shore and out into the Caribbean Sea.

                                                            ~~~

            Once most of the crew was available, they assembled below deck for the great unveiling. Langford pulled the canvas off the statue. The assemblage cringed at the sight. A few went back above deck looking a little green.

            "Well, men, this is it!" The captain stated proudly. "Magnificent isn't it?"

            "Well," said Benjie. "Ye've certainly out done yourself, Capt'n."

            Langford preened. "Yes, well I thought it was good. It's nice to know that everyone agrees with me."

            "Absolutely, Capt'n."

            "Yeah."

            "Alright, alright! Enough of yer praise! Off to work or bed! Now!" The crew scuttled away from the statue. Mark followed Jack with a concerned expression on his face.

            "Hey, Jack? How's the captain gonna get money off that? It's just a really big hunk of ugly bronze. And it's way too recognizable to be taken anywhere to be melted down." Mark said.

            "That's why places like Tortuga exist." He replied as he walked away, leaving a very confused Mark behind.

                                                            ~~~

            Tortuga was filled with pubs, pirates, and prostitutes. Jack seemed to slide right through, seemingly not noticing any of the disgusting aspects. Mark, on the other hand, seemed entranced by the place. He wandered with his mouth open, occasionally letting out an "Ew," or "I can't believe it." Jack enjoyed sharing his wealth of knowledge with Mark as they followed Langford through the streets. He'd relate some particularly horrifying or disgusting bit of information and receive wide-eyed stares in return. Langford motioned them to silence when they reached their destination though, so Jack had to be content with watching Mark watch the colorful inhabitants as they strolled, stumbled or slid by. It was very entertaining.

            "Alright, it's a deal; we'll be back in an hour. Jack, Hans, Mark, let's go get this gentleman's work." The four set off, back to the docks.

            "So, Jack, what's happening?" inquired Mark.

            "The gentleman is going to melt down our statue, so we can get money from it."

            "What? But won't he know we… we stole it?"

            "Of course! We're pirates, and everyone here knows it. It's what we do."

            "Oh." Marks face cleared. "Well, then I guess it isn't so bad that we stole it. I kinda forgot we're pirates."

            Jack just rolled his eyes.

                                                            ~~~

            Getting the statue to Tortuga was easy. Getting the statue through Tortuga was a different matter entirely.

            "How many is that now?" puffed Ivan.

            "Twelve, I think. That last person took out someone else when this hunk of metal clobbered him." answered Gunnar.

            "Really?" Jack commented. "I didn't think we were doing that good."

            "Jack!" Mark looked shocked.

            "What?"

            Captain Langford looked back over his shoulder. "Quit yer blabbing and heave! We're almost there."

            Pulling up in front of the blacksmith's shop was a welcome relief to the men. They stretched, got in each other's way, and had a downright good time goofing off as the captain talked business. Jack kept motioning for silence so he could hear.

            "Quiet! I wanna hear the deal they cut… uh… oh, ok."

            "What?" Everyone gathered around Jack, interested now. "What's the deal?"

            Jack turned around smugly. "I don't think you need to know."

            "What!? Tell us!" they roared.

            "Fine, not like it's anything special. The gentleman gets a head for his effort. We get the rest."

            "Oh. That's it?" Mark asked, disappointed.

            "Yep."

            Langford walked out of the shop. "He says he'll be done by day after tomorrow. Wanna know how much we're getting?" The men could barley nodded in the sudden tension. "Two thousand pounds. And five shillings. To split.

                                                            ~~~

            Jack was kneeling at Marks feet, scrubbing like there was no tomorrow. Looking up he asked, "So how much money do you have left?"

            "All of it," grinned Mark. "It's my first treasure ever, so I don't think I'm gonna spend it."

            "Ever!? Ye're not gonna buy anything?" Jack asked unbelieving.

            "Nope? Did you?"

            "Of course! I bought…" Jack sighed. "A bottle of rum."

                                                            ~*~

A/N: Well, that took long enough. Over two months, actually. First school got in the way, then I got writers block so when I did find time to write I sat and stared at the screen. But _now_ this chapter is finished. I was kinda hoping my story would get more reviews because I've read some really bad ones with tons of reviews and I don't think mine is all that bad. So if you like what I have so far (heck, even if you don't) tell your friends. And since you read it (I'm assuming you have since your reading the note at the end of the latest chappie), please review. I really wanna know what you think. And if you have criticism, fling it at me (I'm in an awesome mood thanks to Youth Convention this weekend), I can take it. Flames I can handle, too. Praise is always welcome. Just review. Luvs and Lasagna!

Ps. I changed a few things on the prologue to fix the story. Big excitement in the next chapter! Oh, and everyone should say Hi to Benjie, he's a real person, one of my friends, his birthday is the same as mine and he's exactly ten years older than me. He doesn't know that he's in this story so if you say Hi and I tell him it'll really mess with his head! SO much fun! L&L!


	4. Surprise, Surprise

**On Sparrow Wings**

**Chapter 3: Surprise, Surprise **

Disclaimer: **Me: **I OWN IT ALL!!!!!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!  

                     ((Capt. Jack Sparrow wiggles over)) 

                  **Jack: **Now, love, that's not entirely true, is it? Ye wouldn't want the authorities to come hunt ye down, would ye? Be content with the soundtrack and me…

                     ((I hang my head))

                  **Me: **Your right, the music is wonderful, I love song 2, and there's you… and of course my story… I only wish I could own it all. ((to the crowd)) He's right; I don't own anything 'cept my soundtrack… and Jack, but you can't own people, so… That's it. This is just for fun…

                  **Jack: **There ye go, love. That wasn't so hard. ((he sees the tears in my eyes)) Come here, let's give ye a hug. ((I run to him and he holds me as I burst into tears)) There, there, love, just cry it out. ((he looks up)) Well, I suppose ye'll just have to excuse us and get on with the story.  
                    ((Jack picks me up and heads for the door))

                 **Me: **Enjoy… sniff…

                                                            ~*~

            It was dawn and all the clouds were turning a flaming red. They reflected on the sea, melding heaven and ocean together in intense glory. The only mar in the wash of color was a ship, intent on riding the wind. A lone sailor in the crows nest marveled at the splendor. Another sailor was climbing up to tell him to get down.

            "Hey, Mark! What do yeh think yer doin'?" Jack Sparrow yelled peevishly.

            "Watching the sunrise. Beautiful, isn't it?" Mark murmured. 

            "Beautiful?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "All it is is a load of trouble."        

            "What do you mean? Look at it!" 

            "Mark, where have ye been all yer life? Haven't ye ever heard of the old proverb 'red sky at mornin', sailor take warnin''"

            "No, what does it mean?"

            Jack gave a long suffering sigh. "It means there's gonna be a storm."

            "Oh. That's not really a good thing, is it?" Mark asked.

            "No! No, it's not really a good thing!" Jack shouted. "What's wrong with ye!? Storms are never a good thing, even when yer in a port! They break things and make noise and everything gets wet _and it's not a good thing!_ Get below deck to help everyone tie everything down! Now! And the next time ye talk to me, pretend ye have some brains!" He stormed back down to the deck and stomped towards the captain's quarters. Mark sat there, shocked by Jack's outburst. Mark hadn't done anything different than usual, maybe asked a few questions more, but nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was the storm. Mark climbed down and headed below deck. He found everyone scurrying around, tying articles up. 

            "What's the hurry?" Mark asked Ivan as he hurried by. "The wind is barely blowing out there."

            "Calm before the storm. There's a real ripper coming and it's gonna get here soon, trust me." He moved over to help Hairy wrestle one of the cannons into place. 

            Mark just shook his head and went to help. Jack stomped downstairs and started directing people. "Winger, what are ye doin'? Move that over there, where it belongs. And you!" he shouted at Hans. "That doesn't need to be tied! What are you thinking!? We might need it when the storm hits! And all of ye! Make sure there's extra rope for when things get dicey on deck!" He growled and stomped back up the stairwell howling about the incompetence of his fellow pirates. Benjie chuckled into his sleeve.

            "What so funny?" Mark inquired. "He seemed really angry to me."

            "Ye hev ter understand. Jack always gits this way 'fore a storm. Puts 'im on edge, they do…" He shook his head and chuckled again. "When the storm finally hits, he'll straighten beck out, and be Jack again… jes' ye wait an' see…"

                                                            ~~~

            After three hours of securing miscellaneous items and waiting, the storm hit in a flash of fury. Most of the crew was below deck playing cards or napping. The ones on deck, however, could see it coming and tried to prepare. Holding on to anything solid they waited for just a few seconds before it hit them like a wall. It caused such a racket that the men below practically jumped out of their skins. Then the ship rocked violently, sending everyone crashing to one side of the ship. 

            "Above, we're needed above!" Timmory cried. Mark rushed upwards, totally unprepared for the sight that met his eyes. It was dark as night, except for the flashes of lightning illuminating things with a vicious light, and water was crashing all around. Men slipped and skid from one secure place to next. Captain Langford was at the wheel, hollering orders, Jack was in the middle of everything, repeating Langford's orders, helping those who needed it, and looking like a madman. Mark scurried about, as best he was able to, holding things solid, or passing a rope where it was needed. Suddenly a loud crack rent the air and Langford shouted something unintelligible to Jack.

            "Main sail's come loose! Mark, run up and tie it! Quick! Hairy, set the rigging right! Gunnar, go with Mark!" Jack shouted into the wind. Mark gave a nod, building his courage up. He and Gunnar slid over to the ropes and began climbing. 

            Upon reaching the top they surveyed the damage. Gunnar directed Mark as they climbed out to solve the problem. The whole time the ship rocked back and forth, tossed like a toy on the waves. The two men set to work pulling the sail straight and securing it. Gunnar glanced up, and seeing a huge wave approaching, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Duck!"

            While Mark didn't catch the entire word, he got the gist of it and held on with all his might. The wave crashed over the ship, pitching it sideways. The two were left clinging to the rigging like half-drowned rats. When the ship had mostly righted itself, they continued their work. Quickly gathering the sail, they wrapped the length of rope around it. Gunnar was tying the last knot when the next colossal wave struck. The shockingly icy waters hit Mark and Gunnar full force, pounding them like angry fists. Gunnar clung to the ropes for all he was worth, and Mark grabbed quickly, but it was too late. The waters had drug the line out of his reach and he was battered off. Falling in the wave, Mark fought down a scream and lost. His voice was lost in the wind. Gunnar yelled as soon as he saw Mark torn from his perch, but water filled his mouth and he choked. He spit and sputtered, trying to holler. The last of the wave crashed down and he was free. 

            "_Man overboard!"_

            Jack's head snapped up. Man overboard. He looked around. Everyone that was on deck was accounted for. He looked up and saw only Gunnar's terrified face looking back. He ran to the side of the ship. There! He saw a shape bobbing in the water. It disappeared. His eyes strove in the darkness, looking for something, anything! The shape reappeared. Jack dove in.

            "Jack! No!" Langford shouted. "He's lost!" It was too late.

            The force of the impact had caused Mark to lose consciousness. He sucked in water and began to sink. In the water, Jack cast about for a sign. A hand. Jack saw it just before it disappeared under the thrashing sea. He dove under; his eyes open, seeking some shred of humanity. He swam toward the place where the hand had been, hoping to see Mark. The water was so dark and the salt stung his eyes. He was running out of breath but he kept swimming. At last he saw him. Jack pushed himself forward, desperate to reach him before it was too late. Grasping Mark's arm, he kick up as fast as he could. He needed to breathe! Gasping as his head broke the surface, he almost inhaled as much water as oxygen. The crew members at the side of the ship hollered when they saw him. He swam with one arm towards the ship, occasionally shoved under by attacking waves. Every time he and Mark reappeared there was shouting on board. A rope was lowered and Jack grabbed on with the last of his strength. The two were hauled up and Mark was flung on the deck. Jack crawled over and started poking and prodding him. He was softly slapping Mark's cheek when Ivan made a startling observation.

            "Look at his hair… It's longer than Hairy's"

            Jack glanced up and shrugged. Hairy had lots of hair, granted it wasn't all on his head, so Mark could, too. Jack was more concerned with the fact that he couldn't get Mark to breathe. Try as he might, nothing was working. Something had to be constricting him. A quick search revealed nothing obvious. Jack was getting stressed. In a last ditch effort he cut open Mark's shirt and froze. Everyone gaped. Mark had breasts. They were bound up, tight as could be to keep them hidden, but now, with out a concealing shirt, it was quite obvious that they were there. He was a she.

            Jack came to his senses quite suddenly. Girl of not, Mark still wasn't breathing. He reached down and cut through the bindings on one side. Mark gasped and started coughing up water. His, or her, chest convulsed violently and deep, racking coughs continued to bring up water. Jack carefully closed Mark's shirt as best he could, offering the girl some modesty. She convulsed one last time, then lay quiet. Jack was reaching for her pulse when her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze settled on Jack and read his shocked expression. She became aware of the looseness around her chest and her worst fears were confirmed. She had been found out at last. With that one last terrifying thought, she passed out.

            As the silence drug on, Captain Langford shouted to his men for news. Jack gave Hairy a meaningful look and picked the girl up. Hairy slid over to the captain and Jack carried her below. He settled in to wait for the captain's arrival. Soon enough, Langford was below, staring at Jack.

            "What is it, Jack? Hairy said there was something important ye needed to speak ter me about. It's not the lad, is it?" He looked anxious.

            "Aye, it's the lad. Look, Capt'n, Mark isn't a lad at all. He's a girl." Jack motioned to Mark with one arm.

            "No…" Langford breathed.

            "It's true…" Jack looked down at Mark, feeling a bit betrayed. His best pal, the one he'd risk his life for, was not anything like what he had been. It hurt Jack to know that he'd been lied to so ferociously. He felt sick and it had nothing to do with the tossing of the ship.

            Langford looked at Jack unsmilingly. "Get me when she revives. There are some questions that need to be answered."

            Jack nodded and Langford left for the wheel

                                                            ~~~

Jack stayed with Mark, leaving the rest of the crew to deal with the storm with out him. For two more hours the storm raged. The girl was unconscious through it all. Captain Langford came to see how Jack was faring.

"Any word out of her yet?" he inquired.

"No, Capt'n. She just lies there, like the dead." Jack shivered.

"It's bad luck to speak of the dead, Jack. Keep watch" He headed back up top. Jack sat down and started thinking. He thought about how he and Mark had met and how they had become friends. He thought about how well they got along and how he used to tease Mark. Then it hit him. Mark's responses to the normalest of events hadn't been like the responses of any other man that Jack had met. That's what had made him so fun to tease. Mark didn't like rum. He had sounded shocked when Jack had commented on the distress the ugly statue had caused in Tortuga last month. And for being a farrier's son, he wasn't totally up to snuff… But then there was the fighting. That pointed to a masculine background. But Mark had said the Royal Navy had taught him… How much of what Mark had said was true, and how much was lies? Jack shook his head. He was so confused. He didn't know what to think. He and Mark had been so close, only Mark wasn't Mark anymore, but Jack still thought of her as Mark and as a friend, but then he felt betrayed. He shook his head again. 

Chrispy, one the quieter of the crew, came down. "Capt'n Langford requests knowledge of the young lady currently residing in you care. What news have you?" Chrispy was an ex-slave, bought free, and far too educated for most of the crew. Jack, however, could communicate just fine.

"Said young lady is still quiescent in the same position as when the Capt'n was down here. Savvy?"

Chrispy nodded and headed for the stairs.

"Hey, wait!" Jack said suddenly. "I think she blinked. Yep, she's awake! Chrispy, collect the capt'n. It's time for an interview."

                                                ~~~

Captain Langford strode into the cabin. Mark gave him one terrified look and noticeably shrank back. Langford did not look like the cheeriest man alive. A creased brow and a dark frown overshadowed anything else in his expression. He looked at Mark and began to pace. Mark's eyes followed the movement nervously. Jack stood by, torn by loyalty to friend and loyalty to captain. He knew Mark was in for something big, but he wasn't sure how big. 

"Alright, lass. Let's begin at the beginning. What is your true name?" Langford stopped pacing and stood facing the girl.

She looked startled. "M-my name? It's, uh, it's…" Her eyes darted around, coming to rest on Jack. Something he had once said entered her mind. _Can't ever give up. That's another pirate thing ye'll have to learn._ She straightened up. "My name is Maris Katharine Morrison," she said. 

"Righty, Miss Morrison. _What are ye doin' on my ship!?" he glared at her._

"I ran away from home disguised as a boy, and made Jack take me to your ship so I could be totally and completely free. That's what I'm doing on your ship." She replied haughtily. 

"Ran away, eh? As a boy, eh? With no thought to others, _eh?_" he growled. "Just hop on any ship, not thinkin' at all. Never occurred to ye that ye'd bring bad luck ta whoever took yeh on. I want to know why ye did this!"

She frowned. "Pardon me, but I don't bring bad luck. I did 'this' because I wanted to have a life. My life. Not the one my parents had planned out for me. Is that good enough, or must there be some deeper, uglier motivation?"

"Pardon me, but ye do bring bad luck! Yer a woman! All women bring bad luck."

"Oh, good grief! I'm a good crew member and you know it! You just don't want to admit that you were fooled!" Maris lost her temper and stood glaring at Langford. He looked slightly taken aback.

"What did ye say?" he said in a dangerous tone of voice. "Do ye think I'm foolish enough to deny that I was taken in by yer disguise? Ye've got the wrong end of the oar on that one. I admit it; I thought ye were a boy. But I can see what it brought me. A miserable, damaging ruddy storm! And its all yer fault!"

Maris didn't know how to respond to that. She knew it was preposterous to think that her presence had brought on the storm, but she was too angry to think of how to reply. Jack could see the impending conflict and attempted to intervene.

"Come on, Capt'n, she is a good crew member. She works really hard, and this is the first bad thing that's happened since before we took her on. Things were bound to go sour sooner or later."

"You stay out of this, Jack. I'll not have a woman on my ship. The next port we drop anchor in, she's gettin' off."

Jack frowned. The captain was acting rather irrational. He could feel his loyalty to Mark, or rather Maris, strengthening the longer he was around Langford. And he didn't like the thought off abandoning her in some strange place. Maris was radiating anger and it was apparent that she was about to say something stupid.

"So, Capt'n, since we've decided what to do about Miss Morrison, why don't we let her get some sleep so she's out of the way and you can go rest in yer quarters an I'll supervise the crew," Jack suggested quickly. Maris turned her glare to him. He tried to tell her not to say anything with out attracting Langford's attention. She seemed to get the message because she stopped glaring at him and stood silently surveying the captain. "She can have my quarters till we get to port and I'll sleep with the rest of the crew."

Langford gave a curt nod and shouted for Chrispy. "Take Miss Morrison to Jack's quarters." He turned to Jack. "I want to talk with ye for a moment." He strode out and Jack followed. 

"If you will gather your things, miss, and come with me?" Chrispy gave a slight bow.

Maris gave a huge sigh and seemed to deflate. "Certainly," she murmured.

                                                            ~~~

Maris had no illusions. She had known she would be found out sooner or later and had planned accordingly. While she had only male clothing, she had brought her favorite of her old nightgowns. She pulled it from the bottom of her pack and looked at it. It was a pale green and reached almost to the floor. With some ruffles at the bottom and at the end of its short sleeves, and a scooped neck, it was nothing extravagant. And loathe as she was to admit it, it would be nice to sleep in something other than the clothes she had worked all day in. She frowned at the thought of never flopping down again in her clothes to sleep. Then she sighed and changed into the nightgown. Sitting down in a chair set in a corner, Maris had barely started brushing her hair when the door opened and Jack burst in. She stood up, startled. Then she felt herself get angry all over.

"What? Come to tell me not to touch anything? That I might give it bad luck?"

Jack stopped short and his mouth fell open. Maris was just standing there, in nothing but a cotton nightgown. Her hair was loose and falling to her waist. Her angry expression and heated words broke his stupor. 

"What? No! No, I wanted to talk to you, but I, uh… I can come some other time." He made to leave, but Maris stopped him.

"Say what you have to say."

"I wanted to tell ye that I won't just let him dump ye somewhere. I'll help ye somehow… Yer my friend." He flashed her a quick grin and was gone. It was Maris's turn to stand staring with her mouth open, but all she could look at was the door.

                                                            ~~~

The next morning, Maris awoke to numerous shouts above her. She couldn't clearly hear what was happening so she dressed as quickly as possible and made for the stairs. 

The crew was in a frenzy. Everyone was running around and dashing up and down. Shouts of "Make ready the cannons!" resounded over the ship. Maris grabbed Hans as he went by with two loaded pistols.

"What's going on?" she inquired.

He gave her a withering look and replied, "A ship from the Royal Navy is fast approaching."

                                                            ~*~

A/N: AAAAAHHH!!!!!!! _I GOT PIRATES ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!! THE BLOOPERS ARE A RIOT!!! I LUV PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!!!!  I worked extra hard on this to get it out around PotC's release date to celebrate. So here it is! The day after the movie was made available to the general public! AND I bought a PotC t-shirt on Saturday and of course wore it on Tuesday! So now my disclaimer is inaccurate… I own the soundtrack, a t-shirt and the movie!!! And to think Mom was gonna make me wait till Christmas! I stomped on that idea, I can tell you! So now that I'm freaking out with happiness, hope you liked the latest installment of the story! Review please! I'm eager to know your thoughts, good, bad, or indifferent! ((**Jack: ** Freaking out with happiness? Eager? Aren't those just the biggest understatements of the century?))_

SUPER HUGS!!!!  Have some cookies! I LUV PotC!!!!!!  ((Runs into bedroom to watch the deleted scenes))


	5. A Promise Kept

**On Sparrow Wings**

**Chapter 4: A Promise Kept**

Disclaimer: So, I've been thinking, would anything like a piece of fan art count as owning something of PotC? Cuz if it does then I got more than I thought! I luv it! Oh, don't get me wrong lawyers; I don't own anything like the production studio, or the actual PotC story… No way… I just LOVE the movie to pieces and write about it, so no claims here, just enjoyment. Yep.

                                                            ~*~

            "The Royal Navy? What!?" Maris was utterly bewildered. "What is going on?"

            "Get out of the way, _woman_. This is all yer fault." Hans shoved past her. His insult rang in her ears. She frowned and ran towards old Winger. 

            "Can you tell me what's happening?" she asked. He just glared at her and hobbled off to help Hairy with one of the cannons. She frowned. Determined to find out, she stuck her head out over the railing in an attempt to see the Royal Navy ship. And sure enough, there it was, guns ready to fire on them. Maris's jaw dropped. Leaning back onboard, she hurried over to Ivan, asking what she could do to help. He shrugged her off, so she went down the line, soon pleading with people to let her help. No one wanted her bad luck. Finally, Timmory took her arm and escorted her downstairs.

            "Ye stay here, out of the way. We don't need ye up there, messing things up," he growled. He roughly shoved her onto Jack's bed and closed and locked the door. She sprang up and pounded on the door.

            "Bloody pirates!" she screamed. "What's wrong with you!? Let me out! I can fight! Arrgh!!! You're out of your minds! Every one of you!" She kicked the door and slumped onto the bed, fighting back sobs of anger. 

                                                            ~~~

            Jack's eyes narrowed when he saw Timmory pull Maris below. He shrugged and turned to shout at someone. There was nothing he could do now; the Royal Navy ship was drawing near.

            "You, Edwash! Help Chrispy load that cannon!" He turned toward the main mast. "Hans, Ivan! Tighten the main sail! We need total control!"

            Langford's voice came from the wheel. "Jack! Be ready to fire 'fore the Navy scum can get us! As soon as they're even!"

            "Yessir!" He headed for the cannon lines shouting for them to be ready. The Navy ship was drawing up. "Ready, men? Hold! Hold!" The ships were even. "Fire! Blast 'em with all we've got!" 

            The cannons roared to life, blowing holes in enemy ship's sides, a few blasting the deck. The navy shot back, slower than the pirates but just as fierce. Men fell on both sides. 

            "None of that! Up, men! Up!" Jack ran shouting up and down the line. The call to board came from the Navy ship. "Stand firm!" he hollered, drawing his cutlass. "They will rue the day they messed with Jack Sparrow."

            Ropes sailed over the side and Navy sailors soon followed. Crashing on board, the Navy men were met with brandished swords and blazing pistols. The pirates were not about to be taken prisoner. Jack plunged into the battle with a grin. He knew these men; he knew that no matter what, the Royal Navy would not win this fight. He heard a shout of pain. Carefully glancing around, he spotted Chrispy being backed into a corner, clutching a wound in his arm.  Hitting his opponent over the head with the hilt of his cutlass, he moved to Chrispy's aid. While extremely educated, Chrispy was not the most skilled with a sword. In fact, he wasn't very good in a fight at all. Jack shook his head and plunged in. Poor bugger, the Navy man had no idea what he'd gotten himself into. Jack teased the man unmercifully. He couldn't have ever finished his training. Maris, who wasn't even in the Navy, fought better. Thinking of Maris, Jack frowned. He pulled his favorite move and tossed a dirty rag in the man's face. Scrabbling at it, the man was totally unprepared for the blow to his unmentionables. Falling to his knees in pain, Jack popped him one at the base of his skull, rendering the man unconscious. He turned to Chrispy.

            "Go get Maris. She can help." Chrispy nodded and made to stand up. "Wait. "Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. "After that, take a few men and get on the other ship. I want it gone, with no means of returning. Got it?" Again Chrispy nodded. He stood and dashed off, dodging the battles all around. Jack watched him until his attention was captured by a Navy sailor spoiling for a fight. Jack obliged. 

            Chrispy made it below and headed for Jack's cabin. He could hear occasional angry shouts emanating from it. He reached for the lock and turned it in the midst of an insult. It clicked and instantly noise ceased inside. He opened the door and jumped aside as a shoe can flying through the air, aimed straight for his head. Maris froze at the sight of him, arm poised to lob another shoe.

            "What do you want? Why are you here?" she growled.

            "Mr. Sparrow sent me. I believe he feels that you should be allowed to partake in the first true battle during your stay aboard this ship. He told to me retrieve you. Are you prepared?" he responded politely.

            Maris blinked. "Uh…" Shouts could be heard above and a loud thump sounded directly on top of the cabin. She glanced up, reached for her belt with her sword, and strapped it on. "Yes. I'm ready."

            "If you'll follow me." He bowed and led her from the cabin. Upon reaching the deck, Chrispy motioned her forward and said, "The battle is yours, miss."

            "Thank you, Chrispy." She strode forward and drew her sword. She was angry. Angry at her parents for trying to arrange her life, angry at Langford for making her feel dirty, angry at herself for taking it personal, and really close to being angry at the Royal Navy for interrupting her last sea voyage. Someone was gonna get it because she was about to lose her temper. She stalked along the deck, looking for someone unoccupied enough to loose her rage on. One such person stumbled into her, have just been shoved away by Hairy. He turned to deal with someone else and Maris attacked the man in front of her, letting her fury pound him with each blow. She struck and he blocked. She struck again and his block wavered. Again she struck and this time broke through his defense. Having been trained by the Navy, she knew the moves he would try to use and kept ahead, catching him off guard and wearing him down. She locked their hilts together and pulled him close.

            "You picked the wrong ship to mess with." She twisted his sword from his hand and clobbered him with her hilt. He fell to the deck. She turned, now with two swords, looking for her next victim. She caught some movement out of the corner of her eye. A Navy sailor was attempting to sneak up on her. She turned to meet him and startled him. He was game though and quickly recovered. Attacking first, Maris was forced to take up the defense. She continued blocking as the man forced her to move around the deck. She took the initiative and, letting him move her, she guided him to a place to her advantage. She pretended to weak and the man drew back his arm kill. She slipped under his guard and attack before he could protect himself. Unfortunately his blade collided with hers and knocked both away from their mark. She barely grazed his arm and, twisting, she managed to avoid a possibly fatal thrust into her side. Completing her circle she brought one blade up and locked it with his. She then brought up her other sword and lay the flat of the blade across his cheek. She smiled wickedly at him and the fear in his eyes grew tenfold. Laughing she clubbed him with her hilt and watched him drop to the ground. Turning to find another partner, she saw Chrispy, Benjie, Hairy, and a slimy looking pirate called Edwash. They were stealthily trying to board the other ship. Someone was sneaking up on them. She strode over and tapped the man on the shoulder. He turned towards her swinging his sword. She blocked the blow and he looked at her. She cocked her head and said, "Hello." He backed up a step and attacked. She blocked that and returned the favor, giving him almost no time to think with the quick use of both her swords. He soon realized his mistake as she drove him toward the edge of the ship, a fierce gleam in her eyes. 

            "You're going down," she whispered. Lunging forward, she shoved him in the chest and he flipped over the railing, down into the sea. 

            Jack had watched her take out her first victim and was slightly unnerved by the anger behind her blows. He had run up to help Langford defend the wheel and missed her second fight, but watched as she beat down the next man with the quickness of her two swords. He grinned as she shoved him overboard and was almost taken by surprise as the lieutenant of the Navy ship charged at him. Sidestepping quickly, he pulled the man past, straight into a railing post. Letting the unconscious man go, he leapt down to join the main fray, letting Langford keep things under control at the wheel. He could see his fellow crew members over on the Navy ship, slinking over to the hold entrance. He turned away and, yelling, started swinging at the nearest Navy sailor.

            Slipping below, Chrispy and Benjie grabbed two powder kegs while Hairy and Edwash arranged the remaining explosives in a thick line of total destruction down the center of the ship. Catching up to Chrispy and Benjie, they grabbed one of the powder kegs and set of for the deck. Starting there they poured a trail of the powder down below, meeting up with their shipmates. Tossing the partially empty kegs down the closest flight of stairs, the four head up top. Benjie, Hairy, and Edwash prompted all remaining crew onto the pirate vessel or overboard before heading back. The last one across, Edwash gave Chrispy the all clear. Chrispy bent down and touched of the powder. He dashed back to the _Wind Rider and nodded to Jack as he ran past. Jack nodded back and abandoned his fighting partner. Striding along the railing, he quickly cut the ropes holding the two ships together. The Pirate vessel began to pull away. Then, knowing what was coming, Jack gave the whistle and much to the confusion of the Royal Navy men, the entire crew of the vessel moved to the port side. Soon they started to follow, intent on cornering the beastly pirates, but before they could move more than eight paces a violent eruption rocked the ship, sending many men off their feet. The pirates quickly surrounded the Navy men. Already counting heavy losses, the knew there was no hope with out a ship to return to they wisely surrendered. _

             "Take these men and lock 'em in the brig!" Jack said, taking immediate control. "Ivan, take count of the dead and wounded on both side and fetch Capt'n Langford."  Hans headed off, first for Langford. 

Maris, helping move the prisoners to the brig was now emotionally spent and felt distant from the others. She shuffled along, ignored by her shipmates, punching the occasional Navy man who was brave enough to taunt her. But none of it was connected. It was like looking at pictures in a book, but they were moving. She was feeling light headed and was having trouble breathing. Shoving the last man in the cell, Maris turned to stagger back on deck. Her side ached and she couldn't wait to get to bed. Reaching the deck she went to lean on the railing to wait for Ivan to return with the captain and hear the report of the battle. Eventually Ivan returned but he was alone and he looked grim. Maris frowned. That wasn't right.

"Well, Ivan, where's the captain?" Jack frowned at him. 

"Well, Jack ye see… tha's where things ain't so good…" Ivan started to reply.

It was getting dark. Maris squinted up at the sky. There was no storm rolling in. There wasn't even a cloud in the sky. She was getting confused. She pulled herself back to Jack and Ivan's conversation.

"What do ye mean 'Tha's where things ain't so good?' We won this fight and sure, there will be losses, but nothing that would delay Capt'n Langford." Jack frowned again.

"Well…" Ivan started.

Maris stared, lost. She could see Ivan's mouth moving, it looked like he was saying something along the lines of "The capt'n… the capt'n…" but Maris couldn't hear him any more. Then the world went from dark to black and she pitched over in a dead faint. 

Hearing a crash, Jack's head jerked over, looking for the source. Ivan fell silent, apparently glad to have a reason to quit talking. Maris was lying on the deck. Blood was blossoming out around her in a scarlet rush. Jack ran over and knelt down beside her. Looking up, he ordered, "We need to get her below and the bleeding staunched."

"What if we don't want to? We were just going to get rid of her anyway. We should just chuck 'er overboard and let Davy Jones deal with 'er." Timmory growled.

"Yeah, what authority have you got to order us to save her? She's only bad luck and you're not the captain."

Ivan suddenly piped up. "Yes he is."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"What?" Jack looked up. "What did ye say??"

"You are the captain. There's been a field promotion. Captain Langford has been killed in action and First Mate Jack Sparrow has become Captain Jack Sparrow."

Jack's mouth fell open. Captain… Captain Jack Sparrow… It had a nice ring to it. Pulling himself together he assumed control. "Right then. Gather _all_ wounded and take them below. Treat them _completely_. I want no more deaths on this ship. The battle is over and I want lives saved, not taken away. Get to work!" He picked up Maris and took her below placing her on a bed close to Benjie, who only had a few minor cuts. 

"Watch her and make sure she's treated well or there'll be another fight on this ship. Got that?" 

Benjie nodded. 

                                                ~~~

            Jack sat in his new captain's quarters with his head in his hands. Clean up had been a nightmare. There had been twelve members of the Royal Navy crew, three of his own, and Captain Langford sent down to Davy Jones's locker. Out of the Royal Navy survivors, over half were injured and needed care, along with his own seven injured men... and Maris. That was the biggest problem. None of the uninjured men would help her. Chrispy had taken charge of her, but with his bad arm, it was almost too hard for him. The cut he had taken had gone deep, into his muscle, but he refused to do nothing and he didn't complain, so Jack let him have his way. Three days later and they were still scrubbing blood off the deck, fixing cut lines and putting everything back where it belonged. Being a captain with naught but cleaning to do was tedious work. Pounding on his door brought him out of his thoughts.

            "Come in," he sighed.

            "Jack- I mean Captain Sparrow, we've arrived at Port Royal." Timmory said opening the door and standing just inside.

            "Fine. Take the prisoners onto the dock, tie them together and lets leave."

            "Yes sir, but…" he hesitated.

            "But what, Timmory?" Jack growled through his hands.

            "What- what of the girl?" he said, suddenly squinting as if to see Jack's face buried behind his hands.

            He looked up wearily, knowing this was not what Timmory or much more of the crew wanted to hear. "She stays."

            "Yes sir." Timmory walked out of the cabin and slammed the door. Muffled shouts carried through the door but Jack ignored them. He didn't really care how fast the crew accomplished their job, all he wanted was to be rid of the Navy men on his ship so things could be normal. He sighed and walked out onto the deck. Squinting against the sun, he looked for Benjie. Not seeing him, he exerted a bit of captain command. 

            "BENJIE! On deck! Now!" he hollered. A _whump_ followed this exclamation and soon Benjie was standing in front of Jack. He smiled, liking the prompt reaction being captain caused. He could definitely get used to this. "As soon as we're finished he, make for Tortuga. We deserve a break. If you or anyone needs me… too bad. I'll be in my cabin and I don't want to be disturbed." Benjie nodded an strode off for the wheel. Jack wandered below to visit his crew that did not yet have the liberty of walking around up top and told them they were heading for Tortuga. A great rousing cheer followed this announcement. Jack was smiling when he headed over to Maris's bed, which had, for the comfort of the crew, been moved as far away from them as possible.

            "How's everythin' going, Chrispy?"

            "The patient is quite coherent, Captain. She feels quite frustrated with herself about the injury," he replied.

            "Well, it's not-"

            "Will you two stop talking about me as if I wasn't here?" Maris interrupted Jack. "Where are we?"

            "We in Port Royal." He frowned as the color drained from Maris's face.

            "Are you going to make me leave?" she asked, breathlessly. "Please let me stay."

            Jack frowned at her. "Why do ye think I came down here?" She started to mouth wordlessly. He chuckled.

            "Why are you laughing?" she demanded, her temper flaring. "You're going to ruin my life by dumping me here! There's nothing here for me. You _can't leave me here. You- you said you wouldn't let Langford do it. Why are you? I hate you, Jack Sparrow! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She was struggling to get up now, eyes blazing. Jack was laughing out right now. "__What is so hilarious!?"_

            "Ye are! I'm not going to make ye leave. Stop jumping to conclusions." He softly pushed her back down on her bed.

            "But- but you said…" she trailed of looking up at his smiling face.

            "Ye never let me finish. I was saying, why else would I come down here? To tell ye I'm not throwing ye of my ship."

            "Oh. Okay. Thanks."

            Chrispy leaned over and said, "I think you should leave now, Captain. She appears to be in shock from your decision."

            "Alright, Chrispy." He leaned down so his mouth was next to Maris's ear. "I always keep my promises, Maris." He stood up, slapped Chrispy on the back and left.

                                                            ~*~

A/N:  So… Here's the latest chapter… I'm in a really typee mood so I think I'll start the next chapter. Hey, I've got a question for all of you who care to answer. Who is you favorite character? In the next chapter there lots of upheaval and it would help to know ahead of time how readers might respond, so if you could just let me know it'd help a lot. Thanks!


	6. The Bottom of a Boat

**On Sparrow Wings**

**Chapter 5: The Bottom of a Boat**

Disclaimer: So just want you to all know that the soundtrack rocks… Yeah… AND I LUV THE MOVIE!!! But I don't own all the important business stuff. No money for me! Whoo!

                                                                        ~*~

            Jack stood at the helm, the wind blowing his hair off his face. He watched his crew carefully. Something was up. They kept huddling in groups to talk and just when he would be gathering breath to shout for them to get back to work they would separate and continue with their duties. He frowned thoughtfully. Maybe they were planning something. A surprise… Like a 'congratulations on becoming captain' party! Ah, maybe he was suffering from lack of sleep. Why would anyone celebrate the death of their previous captain? He shook his head and frowned as another group huddled up. 

            "Benjie!" Jack hollered. "I want ye to take the helm." He strode down towards the group on deck. He couldn't hear what was being said and before he could get any closer, Timmory spotted him. The men straightened up and looked toward Jack.

            "Hey, Capt'n. We was just discussing something, so if ye'll jes' move along, we get on with it…" 

            "What kind of something?" Jack narrowed his eyes.

            "A surprise, Capt'n. For _you_, Capt'n. Ye don' wanna be ruinin' it, now do ye?" Timmory smiled genially. 

            "A surprise? Oh, well, carry on, but ye better be sure everything is done…" He went below deck and headed for his old quarters. Opening the door, he saw Maris at the desk, with paper and a quill. She looked up, startled. 

            "Wrong room. Sorry, I keep forgetting I don't live here anymore." Jack stepped back and made to close the door.

            "Wait, come in. I'd like to talk to you," she said, standing up. "You've been avoiding me as much as the other men on this ship. Is something wrong?"

            "No, not really. Its just-" he broke off. With a big sigh, he settled himself down on the bed. "The crew is a little upset that I let ye stay on board and I don't really want to press the matter. And ye're still recovering from yer injury. This is a good crew, Maris, and I don't want to have to let 'em go because they don't agree with my choices. So I'm trying to slip ye in through the cracks, so to speak. Not just crash ye in, but let them get used to the idea of ye. So I'm sorry if my avoiding ye has upset ye, but it's not because I don't like ye. It's because I _do_ like ye. Savvy?" He looked at her imploringly.

            "Savvy, Jack. This is a good crew, and I'd like them to accept me, too. You just do what you think is best and I'll follow." 

            He bounded up. "Splendid! Now I'm off to my cabin, I gotta get rid of this headache!" Maris smiled as he strode out of the room only to swing back around. "Say, do ye know anything about the surprise the crew is cooking up for me?"

            Maris shook her head no and Jack went up top, muttering to himself. 

                                                                        ~~~

            Jack jerked awake. There was a loud thumping in his head. No, wait, it was the door. Someone was thumping on his door. 

            "Ehn…" Jack said. "Ehn mint…" The thumping continued. "Ehn uh mint!" He rolled off his bed and onto the floor. Pushing himself up, Jack shook his head and it gave a painful throb. "Ugh. I'm coming, keep yer shirt off… on! Keep yer shirt _on!" He staggered up, wincing from the brain pain. Stumbling over to the door, he yanked it open. Timmory stood before him and grinned._

            "It's time, Capt'n. Time for yer surprise." He stepped sideways a bit, allowing Jack to see beyond him.

            Jack didn't like his surprise. Hairy was being held up by Hans and Chrispy was in the grasp of Ivan. Both looked worse for the wear. Hairy was sporting a split lip and a black eye and Chrispy had two shiners and a bloody nose. 

            "Capt'n! We tried to stop 'em. They just won't listen to reason!" Hairy burst out. Winger punched him in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. 

            Timmory grabbed Jack and hauled him out on deck. "We don' like how ye captain this ship, so we're tossing ye off. And anyone who sticks up fer ye, like these blokes. And, of course, that miserable wench. Go to it boys." At this, all able men started stomping around, making as much racket as they could. Jack was more than slightly confused until the hatch to the stairs opened and Maris appeared, drawn by the noise. Timmory snorted with glee. "Ah, the nosy rat appears! Couldn't help herself, I presume!"

            Maris was seized by Long Tom, an abnormally tall pirate. He lifted her up and she thrashed about for a moment, trying to reach the ground. Giving up, she glared at Timmory who appeared to be the ring leader.

            "What's this all about? I demand an answer!" she snarled. Timmory ignored her.

            "Ye see, Jack, this is only one of the reasons we're getting' rid of ye." He walked towards Maris and reaching out, he tangled his fingers in her hair. Stepping closer, he ran the back of his other hand down her cheek. Fear flickered in her eyes. "No matter how feminine she is," his voice came softly and full of lust. "She is still the reason our captain died!" He ripped his hand from her hair and backhanded her. Timmory turned to Jack, anger burning in his eyes. "The men have a few of there own complaints as well."

            "Yeah!" hollered on of the pirates. 

            "Yeah," said Benjie quietly. "I'm goin' home, Jack. I've been out here too long. I'm goin' home to Keira, she's waited long enough."

            "Keira? Who's Keira?" Jack asked. His head was not improving under these conditions.

            "My girl. She promised she'd wait for me, and I'm goin' ter marry her! I'm tired of livin' under yer thumb, Jack Sparrow!"

            "Yeah!" The other men shouted. "Ye've kept us down and brought us bad luck! We won't have any more of it!" 

            "No one wants ye here, Jack. So we're gonna dispose of ye!" Timmory laughed. "Is the plank ready, men? And the boat? And the pistols?"

            "Aye!"

            "Aye!"

            "Aye!"

            "Mister Smarty Hat Chrispy can go first then!" 

            Ivan strode over to the plank and shoved Chrispy out. 

            "Walk," he growled. Trembling, Chrispy looked back at Jack. Jack discreetly nodded his head and Chrispy moved forward, toward the end of the plank. With one more backward glance, he stepped over the edge.

            "Ha! Hairy next! C'mon, men! Bring him forward!" Timmory grinned, enjoying his new-found position of leadership.

            Hans moved Hairy over and pushed him out. Hairy strode straight off without even a moments hesitation. 

            "And now…" Timmory turned toward Jack, grinning maliciously. "Our fair maiden. Just throw her off."

            Long Tom strode forward, Maris clasped in his arms. "Say good-bye." He hauled back and tossed her overboard. She shrieked and the pirates laughed. 

            "And now, gentlemen, it's ti-" He glanced around. "Hats!" Everyone reached up and took of their hats, placing them over their hearts. "Right. It's time to say farewell to our captain. Bring him." 

            Winger stepped forward and grasped his arm in a vise-like grip. "Roight this way, Capt'n Sparrow, roight this way." Shoving Jack out in front of him, he pushed him out onto the plank, to the edge. "This is yer stop. Best git off now." Winger gave him a mighty shove and Jack plummeted to the sea. 

            Surfacing, Jack pulled in a deep breath, and looked around. Hairy and Crispy were pulling Maris into a landing boat. Swimming that direction, Jack tried to ignore Timmory as he shouted something down to him.

            "That little boat be yer island, Jack! But we decided to only give yeh two pistols! Maybe ye could shoot yer fellow men and get a little _privacy with the wench!" He turned back to the ship laughing. _

            Grinding his teeth, Jack reached the boat, and with Hairy's help pulled himself in.

            "What shall our next course of action be, Captain?" Chrispy asked, helping Maris with her not quite healed wound.

            "Timmory's a fool. It's only a day to Tortuga and he left us the paddles. We should be there by morning if we take turns. I never planned on floating around and dying without a ship, so we're going to do something about it. You three get some sleep now and I'll take the first shift." 

                                                                        ~~~

            Maris listened carefully, and hearing Jack's deep, steady breaths, and Hairy and Chrispy's quiet rhythmic ones, she sat up, careful to not disturb the sleeping men. Jack didn't look surprised.

            "Jack… What happened back there?" Maris whispered. Jack motioned her closer, so she carefully moved to sit facing him on the bench in front of him.

            "Mutiny. I guess the crew wasn't getting used to you. And they were upset about me." He his voice rose and fell as he moved forward and pulled back, keeping the boat moving smoothly.

            "Why would they be upset about you? It seemed to me that everyone got on really well with you."

            "Maybe as a fellow crew member, but not as captain. Ye forget I'm only eighteen, Maris. They could handle an eighteen year old at their level, but raise him up to be their leader… No one wants some one that could be their son telling him what to do. Chrispy there is the only one who comes close to me and he's twenty-two. I can understand their reaction. I'm glad it wasn't more violent." His brow shone with sweat, but his strokes never faltered, even with the conversation.

            "How can you say that? They took your ship! One you had every right to! You didn't do anything to deserve this! You didn't do anything wrong!" She thumped her fist down on the bench next to her. Hairy snorted and rolled over.

            "That's where you're wrong," Jack said a little quieter. "In their eyes I did do something wrong. I brought ye to the ship. I cursed them with bad luck, brought a horrible storm down on them, followed by an attack by the Royal Navy, in which they lost their captain." He paused for a moment. "I can understand their decision."

            "Jack…"

            "But I don't agree with it. Women are not bad luck! They're people, with thoughts and feelings and likes and dislikes, just like everyone else! They deserve respect. I'll never again command a crew so bent on superstition."

            Maris sat there, shocked to silence. "Where did you get such views?" she asked after finding her voice.

            "My mother. She raised me by herself after my father ran off and I've never seen anyone with such strength. After getting herself a respectable job, she got us a place to live and kept food on the table." 

            "That's amazing. I wish my mother was a bit more like that."

            "Yes, well, life has moved on and here we are. Better get some sleep, Maris."

            "Alright, Jack. Don't row yourself to death. Wake one of them when you tire." She motioned to Hairy and Chrispy. "And make sure I'm awake before we reach Tortuga." Jack nodded and she lay down as best she could.

            Jack rowed for an hour more, pouring all his anger and frustration, confusion and understanding into the oars. When he finally ran out of energy, he nudged Hairy awake and traded places. He lay watching Maris breathe and thinking of what needed to be done in Tortuga. He soon found his thoughts more on Maris than Tortuga and the future, so he closed his eyes and concentrated on he rhythm of Hairy's strokes. He was soon lulled to sleep.

                                                                        ~~~

            Jack leaned over and poked Maris on the leg. "Wake up, sleepy head. Wake up!" He poked her again and she began to move.

            "We there already?" she mumbled, trying to turn over.

            "Almost. Ye did say ye wanted to be awake when we arrived."

            "Well, I'm awake. Now leave me alone. I didn't sleep very well. Your boat isn't very comfortable." She started to stretch.

            "Yes, well, that's not important. When we're in Tortuga, we'll get us a ship and ye won't have to sleep in the bottom of a boat." Jack grinned at her.

            "A ship!? How in the Caribbean Sea do you intend to buy a ship!? We've nothing to use!" Maris sat straight up, wide awake.

            "Maris, relax. We're pirates."

            She stared at him, open mouthed.

            "And there she is! The saving grace of Tortuga!" Hairy pointed. Maris turned to look. There it was, indeed.

            Reaching the dock, Chrispy jumped off to secure the boat. Maris, Jack, and Hairy followed. The four headed for the nearest pub, Jack assuring Maris that he could get all the money they need. Maris looked doubtful.

            "Watch and learn." Jack glanced around the pub, looking for the drunkest fellow he could find. Strolling over, he collapsed into an empty seat. The man looked up groggily.

            "Wha'dya want?"

            "Ye look at bit down, mate. Have I got the thing to pick ye up! I have this spare ship, see? It's a bit more'n I can handle; I'm not all that good at sailing. But ye look like ye could handle it! I'll even cut ye a deal. It's rather large… and fully loaded… So let's say two thirds of the current goin' price for a ship. Do we have an accord?"

            The man blinked up at him from near the table. "How loaded?"

            "Everything that's on it now goes with it."

            "What's yer name?"

            "I, sir, am Noh Biddy."

            "At only two thirds?"

            "Indeed!"

            "We have an accord." The man reached for his money and handed Jack the proper amount. "Thanks. I feel better already…" And with that the man passed out and slid to the floor.

            Jack strolled back to his friends. "See. Nuthin' to it."

            Hairy grinned. "How many other drunk bugger's are gonna buy our boat?"

            "Five at least. Then we'll have to try a new tack."

            "We could divide our group and each take up a small project to increase our funds." Chrispy piped up. "Later this evening we could rendezvous at one of the inns to combine our earnings and find out how much our efforts have raised."

            "Sounds good. I'll take up the boat sales, Hairy can look for fights, Chrispy can look for loose change, and Maris can…" his voice dwindled as he thought. His expression brightened. "Maris can go with Hairy."

            "What? I get to help look for fights? What good is that going to do?"

            "The fights Hairy's going to look for are ones where people bet on the fighters. Some one has to be there to bet on him so when he wins, we can get the money. Or," Jack said, his grin getting wider. "He can bet on _you, and collect the money you win! Alright! Let's go!" He and Chrispy set off immediately. Maris stood there, staring at Hairy._

            "He's not serious, is he?"

            "I think so. We'd better get goin'"

                                                                        ~~~

            Six hours later, Maris and Hairy stumbled in the door to the room Jack had acquired. 

            "A little late, are we?" he inquired.

            "Yeah, those last three fights weren't really necessary, were they, Hairy?" Maris dug her elbow into his ribs.

            "Ah, no, they weren't… But we sure got a load off them! Word was getting around so people wanted to challenge her, Jack! It was great!"

            Maris walked over to one of the beds and flopped down. "Yeah, great. Do we have enough yet?"

            "Chrispy's counting."

            "Unh."

            Five minutes later, Chrispy still hadn't said anything and Jack was getting restless. "Well, Chrispy? Do we have enough for the ship I found?"

            "You found a ship!?" Hairy and Maris burst out.

            "Yeah, an old guy's getting' out of sailing and goin' into the pub business. His ship's up and she's a real beauty." Jack got a wistful look on his face. 

            "Jack," Chrispy said suddenly. "I have completed my calculations and if I have not overlooked anything or made a mistake, I do believe there is enough here for the ship, a crew, and spare canvas."

            "What?" Jack turned to Hairy and Maris. "Just how much did you two make out there?"

            "Enough, apparently." Maris smirked. 

            "Well," Jack smiled. "Gentlemen, my lady, I believe I have some business to attend to in the morning. Now, we sleep."

                                                                        ~*~

A/N: Here it is! Enjoy! I'm going to bed now.


End file.
